Every third respondent is going to take a vacation this summer. Only 4% of Russians are going to go abroad.
MOSCOW, May 25, 2020. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data of an annual survey describing Russian summer plans.
Most of Russians are going to spend their summer vacation at home (61%). Every third Russian plan on spending their vacation at dacha or in the garden (31%); every tenth is going to travel across Russia (11%). The share of those who are going to go abroad has decreased by 9 p.p. compared to last year and makes up 4%. About 5 or 6 % of Russians will spend their summer vacation in the Crimea and on the Black Sea coast.
Those who are staying at home say that it is mainly because they are lacking money (36%; a 17-point decrease compared to last year). But this is not the only reason; another reason behind respondent’s desire to stay at home is the COVID-19, self-isolation and border closure (25%). These three reasons are pointed by 61% of Russians, reaching the peak level of 2008 at times of impecuniosity (60%) and exceeding the percentages of the 2010s.
This year, 29% of Russians have changed their vacation plans citing COVID-19 as the main reason (70%).
Dream destinations for 28% of Russians are foreign countries (outside the former USSR); Crimea is pointed by 28% of Russians; and the Black Sea coast, by 24% of respondents.
One-third of Russians are going to take a vacation this summer (31%). Fourteen percent of respondents will take a two-week vacation; 8%, one month; 6%, more than a month. Nineteen percent of Russians will only be able to have a rest on weekends.
Most of Russians say that they are going on vacation with two other persons among the family members (19%). Seventeen percent of Russians will have one travel companion; 15% will have three travel companions; 16% will take 4 or even more family members with them. Six percent of respondents say they will go on vacation alone.
Russians are going to spend an average of 49,500 rubles per one person on vacation (an increase of 14% compared to last year). Forty-two percent of Russians are saving up to fund their vacation. Only one in five Russians who have plans to go somewhere is going to use current funds to pay for vacation (22%); one in ten respondents will use bonuses or side job income (8%).
Four percent of Russians are going to use a travel agency to book a trip; this share is higher among those who assess their financial income as good (11%).
More than half of Russians who have a vacation plan have neutral expectations; 57% think that their vacation will be the same they had last year. The number of those who expect a worse vacation has increased (29%; +16 p.p. since 2019). Nine percent of Russians expect their vacation to be better.
Last year 13% of Russians spent their vacation abroad (mainly residents of Moscow and St Petersburg (37%) and inhabitants of million-plus cities (19%)). Forty-nine percent of Russians say that last year they travelled more often to foreign countries than within Russia; 28% say they spend almost the same amount of time both abroad and domestically. Fifty-five percent of those who went abroad last year admit that they can have a vacation somewhere in Russia.
Half of Russians have spent their summer vacation in Russia over the recent five years (44%); 31% of them did it twice or more. Those who spent their summer vacations in Russia gave high scores to the Russian nature and climate (4.42 out of 5 scores on average); an opportunity to visit interesting places (4.16); safety (4.03). Entertainment and leisure activities got 3.83.
Russian VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on May 17 and 18, 2020. Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,600 Russians aged 18 and older. A stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of Russian landline and mobile phone numbers was used. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
The 2004-2016 data are based on household surveys; the 2017 data are based on VCIOM–Sputnik survey involving 600 respondents (surveyed on a daily basis).
Where are you going to spend your summer vacation this year? (closed-ended question, any number of answers, % of total respondents) | |||||||||||||||||
2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
Home | 59 | 59 | 52 | 57 | 55 | 53 | 55 | 56 | 48 | 45 | 46 | 40 | 45 | 47 | 45 | 44 | 61 |
Dacha, garden | 20 | 20 | 22 | 18 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 26 | 35 | 29 | 34 | 26 | 31 |
Another city, rural area in Russia | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 9 | 11 |
Caucasus Black Sea coast (Sochi, Tuapse, Anapa) | 5 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 6 |
Crimea | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 5 |
Abroad (outside the former USSR countries) | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 3 |
Another former USSR country (not Baltic States) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Baltic States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Don’t know | 8 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
If you stay at home and do not go anywhere this summer, can you tell the reason why? (open-ended question, one answer, % of those who are spending this summer at home; top answers) | ||||||||||||||
2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
No money, no funds | 54 | 60 | 52 | 57 | 54 | 49 | 47 | 49 | 43 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 53 | 36 |
COVID-19 / pandemics / self-isolation / everything is closed | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 25 |
Health reasons, illness (my or my relatives’), age | 12 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 7 |
Family reasons , small child/maternity leave | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 18 | 15 | 7 |
I will have to work / no vacation/ vacation in another season | 10 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 6 |
Why have your summer vacation plans changed? Several answers are possible (open-ended question, up to 3 answers, % of those who changed plans – 29%; answers of at least 3% of respondents) | |
| % of those who changed vacation plans |
COVID-19 / pandemics / self-isolation / restrictions on travelling | 70 |
No money / income decrease / financial problems | 18 |
Border closure | 10 |
No vacation / I have to work / vacation was rescheduled | 3 |
Personal reasons | 3 |
Unemployment / no job | 3 |
Other | 10 |
Don’t know | 2 |
Please specify: are you going to have a rest only on the weekend (Saturday- Sunday), or are you going to take an annual leave this summer? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||
| Total respondents | Aged 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 + |
Only on the weekend | 19 | 19 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 5 |
I will take a one-week vacation | 3 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
I will take a two-week vacation | 14 | 9 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 5 |
I will take a one-month vacation | 8 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 4 |
I will take a vacation longer than one month | 6 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 4 |
Don’t know | 4 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 1 |
Question was not answered | 47 | 52 | 33 | 28 | 33 | 80 |
Where would you like to go on vacation if you had an opportunity or enough money? (close-ended question, any number of answers % of total respondents) | ||||||||||||||||
2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
Abroad (outside the former USSR countries) | 28 | 34 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 26 | 27 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 39 | 28 |
Crimea | 11 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 27 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 31 | 28 |
Caucasus Black Sea coast (Sochi, Tuapse, Anapa) | 31 | 32 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 18 | 19 | 23 | 23 | 31 | 33 | 26 | 24 |
Home | 14 | 10 | 24 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 20 |
Another city, rural area in Russia | 10 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 17 |
Dacha, garden | 6 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 12 |
Another former USSR country (not Baltic States) | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7 |
Baltic States | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
Don’t know | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
How many persons (you live with) will go with you on vacation? (open-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||
| Total respondents | Aged 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 + |
1 | 17 | 13 | 17 | 12 | 21 | 17 |
2 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 22 | 22 |
3 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 24 | 13 | 6 |
4 | 11 | 10 | 19 | 17 | 9 | 3 |
5 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
No one | 6 | 20 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 4 |
Don’t know / refusal to answer | 5 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
Who did not answer this question | 20 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 16 | 38 |
If you or your family members are going to go on vacation abroad, how much money are you going to spend per one person? (open-ended question, one answer; answers of those who are going somewhere and who specified an amount of money; Rub. average) | |||||||||
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
Average sum (Rub) | 27220 | 27636 | 30651 | 32810 | 33653 | 39806 | 44205 | 43333 | 49500 |
Growth rate compared to last year (p.p.) |
| 2 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 18 | 11 | -2 | 14 |
How are you going to pay your trip? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who are going on vacation somewhere) | ||||||||
2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
I am saving up for my vacation | 53 | 54 | 54 | 36 | 48 | 45 | 43 | 42 |
I will pay using my current funds; I am not going to do anything special to find money | 16 | 18 | 12 | 21 | 22 | 26 | 22 | 22 |
I will pay my trip using additional income (bonus, side job, etc.) | 4 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 8 |
I will get a loan | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
My trip will be paid by my parents/family/ friends | 3 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
I will borrow money from friends, family | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
I will sell valuables, securities to pay my trip | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Other | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 8 |
Don’t know | 14 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 10 |
Are you going to use a travel agency to arrange your summer vacation this year? (closed-ended question, one answer) | ||||
| Total respondents | Those who assess their family’s financial situation as very good or good | Those who assess their family’s financial situation as average | Those who assess their family’s financial situation as bad or very bad |
Yes | 4 | 11 | 4 | 3 |
No | 95 | 88 | 96 | 97 |
Don’t know | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
In your opinion will your vacation be better/ worse or the same this year than it was last year? (closed-ended question, one answer; % of those who are going to go on vacation somewhere) | |||||||||||||
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
Likely to be better | 18 | 13 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 38 | 33 | 22 | 28 | 24 | 19 | 9 |
Likely to be worse | 8 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 29 |
Likely to be the same | 54 | 51 | 55 | 56 | 60 | 59 | 43 | 44 | 53 | 60 | 63 | 65 | 57 |
Don’t know | 20 | 21 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
Did you go abroad last year, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer) | |||||||
| Total respondents | Moscow and St Petersburg | Million-plus cities | 500-950 thousand inhabitants | 100–500 thousand inhabitants | Less than 100 | Rural area |
Yes | 13 | 37 | 19 | 10 | 15 | 7 | 3 |
No | 87 | 62 | 81 | 90 | 85 | 93 | 97 |
Refusal to answer | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Did you travel abroad more often than across Russia last year? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who went abroad last year) | |
| Total respondents |
More often abroad | 49 |
More often across Russia | 23 |
Equally | 28 |
Don’t know | 0 |
Do you admit, or do you not admit, that now you will have to spend your vacation in Russia instead of going abroad? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who went abroad last year) | |
| Total respondents |
Likely to admit | 55 |
Unlikely to admit | 41 |
Don’t know | 4 |
Some Russians do not leave their region trying to spend their vacation at home. Others travel across Russia or abroad. Over the recent five years have you travelled or spent your vacation in other Russian regions, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | ||||
| 2016 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
Yes, once | 12 | 16 | 15 | 13 |
Yes, twice or more | 23 | 28 | 28 | 31 |
No | 64 | 56 | 57 | 56 |
Don’t know | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Using a 5-point scale, with 5 being “excellent” and 1 being “very bad”, please assess the following aspects of Russian vacation destinations (closed-ended question, one answer, average scores based on answers of those who have spent a vacation in other Russian regions over the recent 5 years) | ||||
| 2016 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
Nature and climate | 4 .47 | 4 .45 | 4 .41 | 4 .42 |
Opportunity to learn something new, to visit interesting places | 4 .33 | 4 .25 | 4 .04 | 4 .16 |
Safety | 3 .80 | 3 .84 | 3 .80 | 4 .03 |
Entertainment , leisure activities | 3 .99 | 3 .93 | 3 .67 | 3 .83 |
People who surround you | 3 .70 | 3 .81 | 3 .69 | 3 .69 |
Environment | - | - | - | 3 .68 |
Service quality | 3 .61 | 3 .49 | 3 .44 | 3 .54 |
High-quality and good food | 3 .67 | 3 .53 | 3 .42 | 3 .53 |
Opportunity for health improvement, treatment | 3 .91 | 3 .74 | 3 .40 | 3 .43 |
Comfortable and affordable accommodation | 3 .54 | 3 .36 | 3 .38 | 3 .41 |
Travel costs from the place of living to resort | 3 .21 | 3 .05 | 2 .93 | 3 .16 |
Where would you go on vacation if you had an opportunity and enough money? (closed-ended question, any number of answers, % of total respondents) | ||||||||||||||||
2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
Abroad (outside the former USSR countries) | 28 | 34 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 26 | 27 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 39 | 28 |
Crimea | 11 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 27 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 31 | 28 |
Caucasus Black Sea coast (Sochi, Tuapse, Anapa) | 31 | 32 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 18 | 19 | 23 | 23 | 31 | 33 | 26 | 24 |
Home | 14 | 10 | 24 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 20 |
Another city, rural area in Russia | 10 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 17 |
Dacha, garden | 6 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 12 |
Another former USSR country (not Baltic States) | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7 |
Baltic States | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
Don’t know | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
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